Cooke has been suspended five times in his career, four of those during his five seasons with the Penguins.

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1 Daily Clips 12/20/13 NHL violence concerns former Penguins' pest Cooke By Josh Yohe Matt Cooke flashed the same toothless grin, dished out his customary ornery barbs to the media and didn't deny the possibility of sneaking into the Penguins locker room to orchestrate a prank. And, yet, hockey's former bad boy turns serious when discussing the violence that has erupted around the NHL. Cooke, who played against the Penguins on Thursday for the first time since signing with the Minnesota Wild in July, expressed concern for the state of the league. With the speed that today's game is played in, Cooke said, I think that if you play recklessly at all, you can't guarantee yourself that you won't be suspended. Cooke has been suspended five times in his career, four of those during his five seasons with the Penguins. However, Cooke hasn't been punished by the league since summer 2011, when he underwent life and career alterations that have led to his cleaner play on the ice. Unless you're willing to make at least minor tweaks (to your game), you're at risk now, Cooke said. That's what I feel. The league is watching now more than ever. They have a great staff in place to manage every game, every night. It's been a busy staff. The NHL has suspended 10 players this month, including right wing James Neal and defenseman Deryk Engelland of the Penguins. Cooke, meanwhile, has played clean hockey during the past three seasons. I know that it's a continuing learning process for me, said Cooke, who still delivers big hits but not the controversial ones that turned him into a villain around the league. I look at video all the time to ensure myself. It took a realization for me to understand that the change had to come from the onset. I think there are near misses. A lot of things can go bad in a short window. It's a tough situation. But I think the league does a great job of trying to have control.

2 Cooke touched on plenty of other topics, from Sidney Crosby's brilliance to his new team's outstanding play. The only thing Cooke wouldn't speak about was a former teammate. Right wing James Neal returned to the lineup after a five-game suspension, the third time he has been suspended in his career. Asked whether Neal's tendencies were similar to his when he was 26, Cooke shook his head no and remained silent. The trip back to Consol Energy Center clearly was a special one for Cooke. The fans make you feel like you're a Pittsburgher forever, Cooke said. They supported me through tough times. Unfortunately, this is a business and I play for the Minnesota Wild now. Cooke said Pittsburgh fans are the most respectful he's ever encountered, and, while making clear that he wanted his Wild to earn the victory, also said part of his heart remains with the organization that made him a better person. The Penguins recognized Cooke during the game's first commercial timeout. I'll forever be thankful for the support that I had here from the coaching staff, players, media and fans, Cooke said. That's something that won't change. Penguins notebook: Sochi hopefuls have played well against Penguins By Chris Adamski With Penguins coach Dan Bylsma moonlighting as coach of the 2014 U.S. Olympic team, one of his duties is to select the team that will represent the U.S. in Sochi, Russia. He doesn't want prospective candidates for the roster to feel obligated to impress him in person. If you have any messages to send before today's game, Bylsma said of the Penguins' game against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, (it's that), Today's game doesn't have a lot of bearing on it.' Wild defenseman Ryan Suter and wing Zach Parise don't need any auditions they're locks for Team USA. Through the first half of this season, though, several American Olympic hopefuls have impressed Bylsma via hurting his NHL team.

3 The New York Rangers' Ryan McDonagh, Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan (currently on injured reserve) scored in a 5-1 win against the Penguins on Nov. 6. Three days later, Kevin Shattenkirk had the go-ahead goal in the third period for the St. Louis Blues in a 2-1 win against the Penguins. Two weeks after that, Max Pacioretty scored twice in the Montreal Canadiens' 3-2 victory against the Penguins. That's three of the Penguins' 10 losses this season in which the winning goal was scored by a member of Bylsma's Team USA orientation roster. Also, the Toronto Maple Leafs' Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk have two goals each this season against the Penguins. I wasn't real pleased with that performance from all those USA candidates, Bylsma deadpanned. I've tried to send as many messages as I could about where (the team's candidates) stand with Team USA. Because the guys we have been playing against have really showed well. MEGNA OUT 6 WEEKS Forward Jayson Megna (lower-body) missed his second consecutive game Thursday and will be out for about six weeks, Bylsma said. Megna was injured late in the Penguins' win against the Maple Leafs on Monday. Megna was playing on the second line after the rash of injuries to the Penguins and James Neal's suspension. Megna has four goals and two assists in his first 15 NHL games. PLAYING WITHOUT THEIR STAR Minnesota goaltender Josh Harding has been the NHL's best goaltender so far this season, and his story is an inspiration for many. Harding, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, recently was put on injured reserve and will miss a couple of weeks because of required changes to his treatment. The Wild coaching staff did not seem the least bit discouraged. In fact, coach Mike Yeo insisted the team had known of this looming absence for quite some time and reiterated Harding hasn't encountered any setbacks. Harding has been one of the stars of this season. He is with an NHL-best 1.51 goalsagainst average. Struggling goaltender Niklas Backstrom started in his place Thursday against the Penguins.

4 RUPPER RETURNS Former Penguins left wing Mike Rupp was a scratch against his old team. Rupp has been hampered by knee and back problems this season and has played only five games for the Wild. It's always good to be in Pittsburgh, Rupp said. My family and I love it here. Depleted Penguins knock off Wild, run home winning streak to nine By Josh Yohe The exhausted Penguins had every reason to fold. Instead, they produced the moment of their young season. With Minnesota mounting a comeback in the third period at Consol Energy Center against a fatiguing group, the Penguins killed a two-man advantage for almost two minutes and even produced a dramatic goal of their own in a 5-2 victory over the Wild for their sixth straight win. Looking comfortably ahead with a 4-0 advantage in the second period, the Penguins allowed the Wild to slide back into the game, and early in the third period at 4-2. Then defenseman Olli Maatta and right wing Craig Adams were called for penalties within 14 seconds of each other, giving the Wild a two-man advantage for 1:46. That was a big deal, said defenseman Matt Niskanen, who continued his strong play by producing a goal and an assist in 23:23 of action. If they score there, it's a different game. Things get hairy. With two of their best penalty killers in the penalty box, the Penguins went to work. Robert Bortuzzo was the only defenseman on the ice for more than a minute, but he protected goaltender Jeff Zatkoff in front of the net. It felt like Borts was out there forever, Zatkoff said. The guys in front of me were unbelievable. Zach Sill and Pascal Dupuis also made significant plays to protect their goaltender. Zatkoff did his share of fine work, too.

5 In the first minute of the kill, Zatkoff stoned Minnesota star Zach Parise twice. Parise also missed the net on another opportunity. It was a big point in the game, coach Dan Bylsma said. When the Penguins finally had killed the first penalty, much of the Consol Energy Center crowd was on its feet. That didn't change when Maatta stepped out of the penalty box and found himself on a breakaway, where he was pulled down and given a penalty shot. Maatta beat goaltender Niklas Backstrom with a shot to the five-hole. It gave Maatta his third goal of the season and his second point of the night. I tried a move in practice three times, and that's the only move I've got, Maatta said. Whatever moves Maatta has are good enough for the Penguins. The 19-year-old continued his precocious play, which didn't surprise Bylsma, who is a believer in the rookie. Probably as early as February, Bylsma said, other teams' scouts were talking about Olli, saying that maybe he was ready for the NHL. Chris Kunitz scored a pair of goals for the Penguins to take over the team lead with 20, and Brandon Sutter also scored. Sidney Crosby recorded two assists to increase his league-leading point total to 51. Despite playing without 40 percent of their regular lineup and with their backup goaltender, the Penguins earned their ninth straight home win and their sixth straight win overall. They lead the Washington Capitals by 14 points in the Metropolitan Division. Adams said it was very frustrating being in the penalty box during such a crucial kill. Once again, though, the young guys were up to the task. The Penguins no matter which players occupy the uniforms are 16-3 at home and atop the Eastern Conference by five points over the Boston Bruins. Everyone got the job done, Sill said. The stars scored most of the goals, and the rest of us went to work. Former Penguin Matt Cooke returns Cooke's return stirs up By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

6 The Penguins did not hold a game-day skate Thursday. Their opponent, the Minnesota Wild, did. Surely, former Penguins winger Matt Cooke, now of the Wild, had no plans to sneak into the Penguins locker room at Consol Energy Center to pull some sort of prank on his former teammates. "I didn't say that," Cooke said with a mostly straight face. An equipment malfunction or some other such gag most likely would not have surprised the Penguins. Cooke, after all, was behind many such shenanigans in the five seasons he spent with them. The Penguins had something planned for Cooke, too, in his first game against his former team. They showed a video tribute during a first-period timeout that brought the crowd to its feet. Cooke, a member of the Penguins' 2009 Stanley Cup team, raised his stick in response from the visiting bench. Before the game, Cooke wasn't sure what kind of reception he would get after he signed with the Wild as a free agent in the offseason. "I hope I don't get booed," he said. Cooke, 35, entered the game with five goals, 12 points in 36 games -- and the respect of coach Mike Yeo, a former Penguins assistant who also was part of that 2009 Cup team. "What he's given us is exactly what I remembered, to be honest," Yeo said. "We were looking for a guy who could play a real important role on our penalty-kill, a guy who could play against top players, a guy who's going to bring you momentum. And, obviously, the speed and the physicality that he brings is part of that as well. "That said, the fact that he's playing as disciplined as he is, it's a bonus for us." There is that. Cooke, an agitator long considered dirty, reached a breaking point when he was suspended for the final 10 regular-season games and the first round of the playoffs in for blatantly elbowing Ryan McDonagh of the New York Rangers in the head. He spent that summer refining his game and has not been suspended since. "It's a continual work in progress for me," Cooke said. "I do video [study] all the time. I'm trying to assure myself of success." The Penguins chose to stick with him despite some public pessimism that he would be able to make such a radical change at that stage of his career.

7 "I'll forever be thankful for the support that I had here from ownership, management, coaching staff, players, media, everybody, fans," said Cooke, who felt as if he was embraced locally. "The fans really make you feel like you're a Pittsburgher forever when you win here. And they supported through tough times, too. I have a special place for Pittsburgh." Having Yeo as a familiar face with a familiar hockey philosophy helped, Cooke said. "It made the transition to a new team really easy," Cooke said. "Having Mike and Mike's trust, knowing him and being able to come into a situation where the system is fairly familiar allowed me to be successful right away. It wasn't a big transition. That was important for me in my decision-making in July." Cooke didn't expect his familiarity with the Penguins to give him a big advantage, but the plan was to have him matched up as much as possible against the top line, centered by Sidney Crosby, who was leading the NHL in scoring going into the game. "I said when I was here, the guy does things at full speed that I don't try standing still," Cooke said. "You have to play tight on him. Don't give him any space." Nor would Cooke give Crosby or any of the other Penguins any leeway if he invaded the home team's area of the arena. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said before the game had not heard of anything that pointed to Cooke's fingerprints. "I'm sure they're finding surprises if he did get through," Bylsma said, laughing. "We did change the locks on him. We'll see if he got through that." Penguins injuries boost Maatta's ice time PENGUINS NOTEBOOK By Shelly Anderson / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Olli Maatta, meet Ryan Suter. Maatta, a Penguins rookie defenseman, has had his ice time increase lately because of injuries to the team's top four defensemen. Going into a game Thursday night against Suter and the Minnesota Wild, Maatta, 19, had played more than 22 minutes in three games in a row and more than 21 in five of the previous seven.

8 Maatta played a season-high 28:06 Wednesday in a 4-3 shootout win against the New York Rangers. That's not in quite the same stratosphere as the Wild's Suter, who went into a game at Consol Energy Center with an NHL high average of 29:37 and topped 32 minutes in three games in a row. Maatta's season could stretch in to the triple digits in games if he plays for Finland in the Olympics and the Penguins make any kind of playoff run. Penguins coach Dan Bylsma is neither concerned about overplaying Maatta nor planning to have him play this much once some of the injured defensemen return. "I don't see Olli playing the load he's on right now for any long stretch of time," Bylsma said. "He's a guy who played a lot of games in junior hockey. He's gone to the Memorial Cup final two years in a row, so he's played a lot of hockey. I don't think you're going to see him averaging 28 minutes come the end of this season. "The 25-game mark, he was in the 15-, 16-minute range and doing a good job. He's gotten to 20 now a couple of times. But he's a young, 19-year-old kid. He should be able to handle it." Rupp on fighting The Wild's Mike Rupp, a former Penguins winger, includes fighting in his job description and had some thoughts on the rash of suspensions in the NHL this season. Specifically, Rupp doesn't see suspensions as deterrents. He pointed to the 15-game suspension given to Boston's Shawn Thornton for an attack on Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik in a Dec. 7 game. "I don't believe that the suspensions are teaching anybody anything," said Rupp, who missed the game Thursday because of an injury. "We see them trying make a point of one player [Thornton] and then ever since [that] game in Boston, I've never seen so many suspensions." Since that game, the NHL has issued nine suspensions totaling 25 games. Rupp understands the crackdown is related to a desire to cut down on head injuries. "The concussions in this league aren't stemming from fights necessarily," he said. "It's from guys taking liberties and trying to just stir things up. I think we can weed that out. "The game is a faster game now. I guess I'm thinking more in the old-school mentality now. It's not going to be cleaned up if you take away the instigator [minor penalty] rule, but, if you can weed out 30 percent of the guys who aren't going to be as brave in taking shots at guys, then that's a step in the right direction." Tip-ins

9 Penguins winger Jayson Megna, who missed a second game since he was hurt Monday, will be out about six weeks, Bylsma said, with what is believed to be a right knee or leg injury.... Injured Penguins center Evgeni Malkin skated in the morning.... The Penguins' only healthy scratch was forward Brian Gibbons. Defenseman Deryk Engelland served the third game of a five-game NHL suspension.... Wild goaltender Josh Harding, among the league leaders with 18 wins, is away from the team while his medication for multiple sclerosis is adjusted. Coach Mike Yeo said Harding is fine and that the adjustment had been planned for some time.... The NHL holiday roster freeze went into effect at midnight and lasts until midnight Dec. 27. It does not apply to recalling players for injury purposes. Penguins beat Minnesota for ninth consecutive win at home Dave Molinari/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Someday, perhaps, all this will catch up with the Penguins. Hard to believe it won't. All the man-games they've been losing to injuries. All the core players who have suffered those injuries. All the big minutes being logged by guys who were supposed to be filling supporting roles. Assuming they weren't playing in the American Hockey League. Hasn't happened yet, though. And, based on the way the Penguins ( ) have performed much of the time lately, including most of a 5-2 victory Thursday night against Minnesota at Consol Energy Center, it might not happen anytime soon, either. Hey, if not against a quality opponent that spent the previous evening resting while the Penguins were carving out a 4-3 shootout victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden, when? Sure, logic said the Wild had a lot of factors in its favor. The Penguins ignored it all and said otherwise. "We felt great coming in and had a good start," winger Pascal Dupuis said. "It was just one of those nights when we took it to them." The victory was the Penguins' sixth in a row, their longest winning streak this season, and their 11th in the past 12 games.

10 It also was their ninth in a row at Consol Energy Center and just their second at home against the Wild. They beat Minnesota in their first meeting here Feb. 14, 2001, then went The Penguins, who have lost 190 man-games because of injuries, got a bit of a boost when right winger James Neal returned after completing a five-game suspension. He played 14 minutes, 43 seconds and earned an assist. Of course, the Penguins still were without their top four defensemen: Paul Martin, Brooks Orpik, Rob Scuderi and Kris Letang. All are recovering from significant injuries, and defenseman Deryk Engelland served the third game of a five-game suspension. And, oh yeah, Evgeni Malkin -- who was contending for the NHL scoring title before suffering an apparent leg injury Saturday in Detroit -- sat out his third game in a row, too. Those injuries, and a handful of others, opened major holes in the Penguins lineup, but nothing a platoon of call-ups from their minor league team in Wilkes-Barre hasn't been able to plug. "We're not as skilled as we usually are, when everyone's healthy, but the new guys coming in, everybody competes really hard," defenseman Matt Niskanen said. "What maybe we lack in high-end skill, we make up for with a lot of compete level and battle." The Penguins built a 4-0 lead on goals by Chris Kunitz (two), Brandon Sutter and Niskanen and, aside from a brief scare in the third period, when the Wild pulled to within two goals and had a five-on-three power play for 106 seconds, were never seriously threatened. And they didn't just survive that two-man disadvantage; they padded their lead before it was over. Rookie defenseman Olli Maatta, who picked up the first of the two minors that left the Penguins short-handed by two players, had a breakaway after leaving the penalty box, and was hooked from behind by Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin at 7:54. He was awarded a penalty shot and sneaked a puck under the blocker of Minnesota goalie Niklas Backstrom to restore the Penguins' three-goal advantage and snuff any comeback hopes the Wild had. "That's probably the only move I've got," said Maatta, whose mother attended the game. "It worked. I thought he got it at first, but then I saw it going in, so I was pretty excited." He should have been, because he is just the third Penguins defenseman to be awarded a penalty shot, and the second to score on one. The other was George Konik, who did it in St. Louis in 1968.

11 Penguins goalie Jeff Zatkoff, who made 24 saves to record his sixth victory in a row, said Maatta's goal "kind of sucked the life out of them," but simply denying the Wild's power play might have done the same. "If they get one there, it's a different ballgame," Niskanen said. "Things get a little hairy." The Wild didn't get one, though, because the Penguins simply refused to let adversity overtake them. Which is something they've done a lot lately. And they have the victories and points to show for it. Top Line Getting Job Done By Dave Uhrmacher The Penguins lineup is riddled with injuries. Pittsburgh s top-four defensemen are out. Twenty different forwards have suited up in games. Nine Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have appeared for Pittsburgh. And despite injuries piling up on what seems like a nightly basis, there has been one constant. The Penguins top forward line of Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis has been producing at a rapid pace, one that would make it seem like there is no added pressure without the likes of Evgeni Malkin, James Neal and Kris Letang in the lineup for extended periods of time. It is great to help your team win, Dupuis said. At the same time, the pressure is there every night to produce. You play with Sidney Crosby on a line, people are expecting you to get some points and do well. I don t think with the guys we have out there that there is added pressure. Guys have stepped in and have played great for us. They have really helped. After arriving back in Pittsburgh late last night after a 4-3 shootout victory over the New York Rangers, some questioned how this group of Penguins would compete and skate with a fresh Minnesota team. Kunitz silenced any talk of that notion being true, scoring the game s first goal just 49 seconds into the first period. Sometimes you just get right back at it, Dupuis added. Even though we got in late from New York last night, we felt pretty great at the start. I don t know. Just one of those nights that we took it to them. For the man down the middle and his wingmen, the night was a continuation of a hot streak that has these Penguins flying high atop the Eastern Conference standings.

12 The trio has scored nine of the Penguins 20 goals since Dec. 9, when Pittsburgh s current sixgame winning streak began in a home win versus Columbus. Over their last eight games (seven of which the Penguins have won), the top line has a combined 27 points and has scored 13 of the 27 (48.4 percent) Pittsburgh goals. Crosby s assists on Kunitz s two goals Thursday night were his 50th and 51st points of the season, extending his league lead in points to five over Chicago s Patrick Kane. Kunitz scored for the second-straight game, with No. 14 (20G) pulling into a fourth-place tie for goals in the league and refusing to be ignored as a potential candidate for Team Canada. During his season-high nine-game point streak in which Crosby has compiled six goals, nine assists and 15 points, the trio has been brilliant in leading these battered and bruised Penguins to win after win after win. The play of the top line has taken some pressure off the injured players to rush back and help the team win games, allowing the Penguins to get fully healthy in due time and prepare for the second half of the season. Meanwhile, Crosby, Kunitz and Dupuis will lace up the skates Saturday for a home game against Calgary, searching for the team s seventh-consecutive win. And if past performance is the best predictor of future outcomes for these three Penguins, the points will continue to pile up. O Olli Night By Sam Kasan A year ago, Olli Maatta was starring with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League as a baby-faced 18-year-old blueliner. Now, Maatta is making history for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League as a baby-faced 19-year-old blueliner. With his mother in the stands to watch her son play for the first time, Maatta became just the second Penguins defenseman in franchise history to score on a penalty shot (George Konik) in the Penguins 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild at CONSOL Energy Center Thursday night. I was really nervous, Maatta said. I tried not to push my stick too hard. It worked. Maatta deked the puck before going blocker side. The puck barely sneaked through the body of netminder Niklas Backstrom and then slowly crawled over the goal line.

13 I ve tried that move in practice a few times. It s the only move I have, Maatta said. I thought (Backstrom) got it at first. Then I saw it go in so I was pretty excited. The goal, which counts as a shorthanded marker, was part of a career-high three-point night (1G-2A) for Maatta. It was possibly his best game in the NHL, although the neophyte is still just 37-games deep. Olli, with his mother s first game in the stands, he gets a big night, head coach Dan Bylsma said. A couple of assists and the shootout goal. With a rash of injuries affecting the Penguins defensive corps like the bubonic plague, their top- 4 blueliners are all out, Maatta has gone from a wide-eyed rookie that surprisingly made the team out of training camp to the Pens No. 2 defenseman, logging big minutes in big situations. After the game you think it was a pretty good thing right now to keep Olli Maatta around from training camp on, Bylsma said. He s been cast into a big role in the last four games with injuries, in-game match penalty. Maatta skated for a career-high 28:06 minutes Wednesday night in New York in a 4-3 shootout win against the Rangers. Less than 24 hours later he logged 21:46 minutes against the Wild. You can feel the fatigue a little bit, Maatta said. Just play short shifts and keep yourself fresh. Maatta is playing in every situation right now for the Penguins: even strength; power play; and penalty kill. Ironically, Maatta s shorthanded penalty shot goal came as a result of him being in the penalty box. The Penguins were killing a 5-on-3 with Maatta and Craig Adams in the box for 1:46 minutes. A gutsy effort allowed Maatta to get out of the box and collect a flip pass from Zach Sill for a breakaway, which turned into his penalty shot opportunity. I was going back for the penalty kill, but I saw Sill get the puck, Maatta said. He made a great pass for me. Mattaa received some quality advice from Pascal Dupuis before his penalty shot. Duper told me to see if my stick was broken or not. That would be embarrassing, he joked. Maatta s play of late has been anything but embarrassing. In the last 15 games (his role has) gotten bigger, Bylsma said. The last five games it s gone to a point where he s been the top pair and getting the top minutes on the backend with (Matt) Niskanen.

14 He s getting (Pavel) Datsyuk, getting (Brad) Richard and (Rick) Nash and (Zach) Parise. That s a tall order. The confidence and steadiness, consistency with which he s played has been the best in the last three, four games. Endgame: Penguins 5, Wild 2 By Michelle Crechiolo If you could pick any team to end Pittsburgh s dominance on home ice, the Minnesota Wild wouldn t be a bad choice. After all, they ve won six of the seven all-time meetings between the teams in this city. But that was before tonight. The Pens scored the opening goal within the first minute of play for the third straight home game, and they never looked back as they skated to a 5-2 win over the visiting Wild. The Pens have not trailed on CONSOL Energy Center ice for 317 minutes and 19 seconds (dating back to Nov. 27 against Toronto), the same surface they have won nine straight games on to give them the NHL s best home record at I think with this group right now, getting out to a good start and to a lead, settles the group down, head coach Dan Bylsma said of his younger, inexperienced group. You keep playing, keep playing forward, keep playing the right way. You re not looking at the opposition; you re not looking at the situation being down in a game. We ve played forward, we ve played hard, we ve come out with good starts in a lot of these games and been able to get that goal. It s something early on in the year, even with a much different lineup, we struggled to do even when we played well. I think that s been extremely big and tonight, getting that one, especially after a game last night and coming home late, coming out the way we did I thought was a big part of the game. The Pens have now won six overall and 11 of their past 12. Goalie Jeff Zatkoff made 24 saves to win his sixth straight. Olli Maatta scored a shorthanded penalty shot goal and added two assists for the rookie defenseman s first career three-point game. Chris Kunitz scored twice to become the first Penguin to reach the 20-goal mark (37 games) while Brandon Sutter and Matt Niskanen

15 also put the puck in the back of the net for Pittsburgh. Jason Pominville and Dany Heatley scored for Minnesota. The Pens started strong, but overall the first period had no pace as the unfamiliar foes felt each other out and got slowed down by two fights in the first five minutes. The Pens opened it up in the second with three big goals in the first half, but the Wild fought back with two scores of their own to make it 4-2 before getting a huge 5-on-3 power play late in the third. However, the Pens came up with a big penalty kill led by Herculean efforts from Zach Sill and Robert Bortuzzo and Maatta scored with four seconds left to get Pittsburgh back the momentum. OH, OLLI NIGHT! A year ago, Olli Maatta was starring with the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League as a baby-faced 18-year-old blueliner. Now, Maatta is making history for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League as a baby-faced 19-year-old blueliner. With his mother in the stands to watch her son play for the first time, Maatta became just the second Penguins defenseman in franchise history to score on a penalty shot (George Konik) in the Penguins 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild at CONSOL Energy Center Thursday night. I was really nervous, Maatta said. I tried not to push my stick too hard. It worked. HUGE 5-ON-3 Before Maatta scored, he had been sitting in the box with the Penguins' top penalty killer Craig Adams watching as their teammates dealt with 1:46 minutes of being down two men. If the Wild convert that 5-on-3 chance, given to them with just under six minutes left to play in regulation, the Pens' lead is cut to 4-3 and what seemed like a certain victory no longer does. "At that point in the game, that's a pretty big kill," Niskanen said. "If they get one there, it's a different ball game. Things get a little hairy." Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they got tremendous efforts from their PKers, primarily Bortuzzo and Sill, to keep Minnesota from getting a big goal and getting back in the game. "It's another good effort for us shorthanded," said Sutter, who joined those two as the first

16 group of three over the boards for the Pens. "We've had a few now at critical points in the game and over the last week or two here in the last five minutes where we've had 5-on-3s, 5- on-4s. But we've come through in every situation, so that's been great." Bortuzzo and Sill were especially tremendous. Bortuzzo stayed on the ice for the majority of that particular kill, logging a team-leading 4:16 shorthanded minutes in the game. He was tasked with trying to keep the Wild from making back-door plays, and the 6-4 defenseman used his long wingspan to swing his stick through the lanes and his big frame to block shots. In addition to using his speed and tenacity to hound the Wild, Sill made an amazing play to spring Maatta for the goal when he lobbed him a flip pass, Murphy dump style, to get him behind the D. FIRST LINE The Penguins lineup is riddled up and down with injuries. The top-four defenseman are out. Nine Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins have appeared in games for Pittsburgh. And despite injuries piling up what seems like every night, there has been one constant. The Penguins top forward line of Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis has been producing at a rapid pace, one that would make it seem like there is no added pressure without the likes of Evgeni Malkin, James Neal and Kris Letang in the lineup for periods of time. It is great to help your team win, Dupuis said. At the same time, the pressure is there every night to produce. You play with Sidney Crosby on a line, people are expecting you to get some points and do well. I don t think with the guys we have out there that there is added pressure. Guys have stepped in and have played great for us. They have really helped. GUTSY EFFORT BY D The Pens defensemen have all had to step into bigger roles with injuries to all of their top-four guys and Deryk Engelland serving a suspension. Niskanen and Maatta have been tasked with shouldering the bulk of the load, and have handled it with aplomb. But just when we think they can t impress us any more with what they ve been able to do, they find another way to contribute. Not only did they lead another gutsy defensive effort in their own zone; they contributed on the other end of the ice as well. Maatta assisted on the Penguins first two goals in addition to

17 scoring one of his own, while Niskanen followed that up by netting his second power-play goal of the season and first since Oct. 12 at Tampa Bay. It sucks having our best guys out, you don t want to see anybody hurt, Niskanen said. But for the time being, it s a fun opportunity. Bunch of young guys with good attitudes who just come to the rink every day, enjoy the heck out of it and work. And I think we re overachieving a little bit right now, (but) it s pretty darn fun. Guys are enjoying it and taking full advantage to showcase what we can do. Some new guys in the lineup, it s a fun opportunity for the time being. OTHER NOTES - Jeff Zatkoff turned away 24 of 26 shots to pick up his 6th consecutive win. He becomes the first rookie Penguin goalie to win six consecutive games since Johan Hedberg did so in a stretch of six games from Mar. 25-Apr. 8, I just try not to worry about what happened last, he said of not getting too high during his amazing stretch. Every game is a new game and when I get in there, I try to give the team a chance. Best I can. It's obviously nice I've got a little streak going, but once the game's over, it's over and it's on to the next one. - Brandon Sutter is a fantastic two-way player. He has brought the defensive part all season long, and now the offense is coming fast and furious.the Penguins center scored for a third straight game Thursday to tie his career-long streak from three years ago when he put a shot past Niklas Backstrom just 1:54 into the second period to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead. - Sidney Crosby had 2 assists tonight, extending his point streak to 9 games (6G-9A-15PTS). The assists are his league-leading 50th and 51st points of the season. - James Neal returned to the lineup after serving his five-game suspension. He assisted on Niskanen s goal to give him points in the last five games he has dressed. RMU Coach Schooley Excited for Three Rivers Classic By Dave Uhrmacher

18 With just over a week until the second annual Three Rivers Classic begins, Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley visited CONSOL Energy Center on Thursday night to watch the Penguins play host to the Minnesota Wild. Schooley and Robert Morris return as the defending Three Rivers Classic champions, and will be joined in this year s tournament by Penn State, Bowling Green and national-powerhouse and seventh-ranked Boston College. To be able to bring Boston College in, they have won three of the last six national championships, you are going to see really good hockey, Schooley said. Just for the Penguins this year they have had six players with Boston College ties on their team so it just shows you where their program is going, how good their program is. To bring them into Pittsburgh will be a big coup and to have the fans come out and see them, you are going to see some future NHLers. Despite Schooley s Colonials not getting off to the start they were hoping for, he said the chance to play against top-tier teams is a challenge they look forward to facing. We are young. We have 15 freshmen and sophomores, Schooley added. We returned three games of experience in goal. But, I really like this hockey team. I like the way they play. They give tremendous effort. A lot of these guys played in this tournament, a lot of these guys took a lot of pride in winning and I can tell you that they are going to give it their all to defend it. The Three Rivers Classic will take place on Dec at CONSOL Energy Center. On Dec. 27, Bowling Green will play Boston College at 4:30 p.m. and Robert Morris will oppose Penn State at 7:30 p.m. The following day, the consolation and championship games will be held at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are still available at Penguins ride big second period to win vs. Wild Wes Crosby - NHL.com Correspondent PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Penguins don't seem to be aware they are decimated by injuries. With 10 regulars out of their lineup, the Penguins beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2 on Thursday at Consol Energy Center for their sixth consecutive win.

19 The Penguins surrendered a pair of goals after taking a 4-0 lead in the second period, but rookie defenseman Olli Maatta put the game away on a penalty shot 7:54 into the third. At the tail end of a Minnesota 5-on-3, Maatta exited the penalty box and received a pass that sent him charging toward the net. He was tripped by Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin with Penguins forward Craig Adams still in the box, setting up a shorthanded penalty shot. Maatta deked to the right, brought the puck back to the left and shot at goalie Niklas Backstrom's pads. The puck slid over the goal line to give the Penguins a 5-2 lead. "It's a big point in the game when we go down 5-on-3 for an extended period of time," Penguins coach Dan Bylsma said. "You look at the clock and think, one or two power-play goals and it's a tied game. The guys are coming; it was a huge kill there. "As the penalty kill is winding down, Olli comes out from the first one and he gets the puck. Olli with his mother's first game in the stands, he gets a big night." Maatta, who also had an assist, became the second defenseman in franchise history to score on a penalty shot. "I've tried that move in practice a couple of times, and that's probably the only move I've got," Maatta said. "It worked." With a 1-0 lead after one period, Pittsburgh used a three-goal second period to gain a comfortable lead. Brandon Sutter started the period by scoring his eighth goal of the season and second goal in two nights at 1:54. Mikko Koivu blocked a wrist shot from Maatta but lost the puck at his skates. He turned to find the puck, but Sutter dove around him and wristed a shot past Backstrom to extend the Penguins' lead to 2-0. Matt Niskanen's second goal of the season gave Pittsburgh a three-goal lead 1:39 later. With Chris Kunitz screening Backstrom during a power play, Niskanen slapped a shot into the upper left corner of the goal. The chemistry between Sidney Crosby and Kunitz was obvious on the Penguins' third goal of the period. Crosby retrieved the puck in the left corner and backhanded a pass to the front of the net. Kunitz raced past Koivu to the crease and met Crosby's pass for a one-time wrist shot that beat Backstrom and made it 4-0. "With [Kunitz], you always know he's going to be around the net," Crosby said. "I ended up seeing some space there and he's able to get to the net pretty quick, but that's where he's going to be. So, he's going to score a lot of goals around there, and I was happy we were able to capitalize."

20 Kunitz, who was credited with the Penguins' first goal after it initially was awarded to Pascal Dupuis, leads the team with 20 goals. Crosby extended his point streak to nine games with two assists. He has 15 points (six goals, nine assists) during the streak. Pittsburgh's defense was equally impressive, even without injured regulars Kris Letang, Brooks Orpik, Paul Martin androb Scuderi, as well as suspended defenseman Deryk Engelland. The Penguins have allowed two or fewer goals in nine of their past 11 games. Jeff Zatkoff made 24 saves in earning his sixth straight win after starting the season Backstrom, who started in place of goalie Josh Harding, out for medical reasons, is now on the season with a 3.12 goals-against average and.896 save percentage. "I think my last game was pretty good and today I could have been better," Backstrom said. "If you play a good game or bad game, you want to be better next time. You try to learn from every game." Jason Pominville got Minnesota on the board 37 seconds after Kunitz's second goal to send the Wild into the third period facing a three-goal deficit. It was his team-leading 16th goal. Dany Heatley made it 4-2 at 3:13 of the third with a wrist shot past Zatkoff. It was his seventh of the season and first since Nov. 29. The Penguins got off to a quick start to the first period, but could not carry the momentum past the first few minutes like they were able to in the second. Pittsburgh took advantage of a mishandled rebound by Backstrom to take a 1-0 lead 49 seconds into the game. Maatta sent a wrist shot into Backstrom's glove, but the Minnesota goalie fumbled the puck into the crease while Dupuis, Kunitz and Crosby converged on the net. Crosby backhanded the puck at Backstrom, producing another rebound. Kunitz finished the play by tapping the puck past a few scrambling Wild players and into the net. The goal originally was given to Dupuis, then was changed to Kunitz afterward. The Penguins have scored a goal in the opening minute of three consecutive home games. Minnesota coach Mike Yeo said he was not satisfied with his team's effort. "The whole game, 'frustrating' I think is the wrong word, I think 'maddening' is a little bit more appropriate," Yeo said. "To come out and get outbattled and outworked, that was disappointing." Chris Kunitz, Sidney Crosby lead Penguins to 6th straight win

21 Associated Press PITTSBURGH -- If Pittsburgh Penguins rookie defenseman Olli Maatta was nervous, it certainly didn't show. Maatta sealed the Penguins' season-high sixth straight victory when he scored on a third-period penalty shot Thursday night, and Pittsburgh beat the Minnesota Wild 5-2. "I was nervous, for sure, but I think that's the only move that I've got and it worked," Maatta said. "I thought he got it at first and then I saw it go in so I was pretty excited." Chris Kunitz scored his 19th goal, Pascal Dupuis and Brandon Sutter each scored for the second consecutive game, and defenseman Matt Niskanen also tallied for Pittsburgh, which has won 11 of 12 overall and a season-high nine straight home games. Penguins' captain Sidney Crosby added two assists, extending his season-best point streak to nine games. He leads the league with 51 points. Jason Pominville netted his team-high 16th goal and Dany Heatley scored 3:13 into the third period for the Wild, turning a three-goal deficit into a 4-2 game. "We were not ready to play the game hard enough and that's something that we have to look at ourselves in the mirror," said Wild head coach Mike Yeo, a former assistant at Pittsburgh. "To come out and get out-battled and outworked was disappointing." The Wild had an opportunity to make it a one-goal game shortly after with a 5-on-3 power play for 1:46, but the Penguins killed both penalties. Maatta was awarded a penalty shot after he was hauled down by Jonas Brodin on a breakaway while coming out of the penalty box. "That's the game, depending on what happens there," Crosby said. "If they score on that power play it's a different game and they're one away from tying it." Instead, the 19-year-old Maatta, who made the team out of training camp, scored his third career goal on his first career penalty shot, part of a his first career three-point night. He is the second defenseman in team history to score on a penalty shot. "To step up on a penalty shot like that, and put it in was huge," Crosby said. "It's nice to see him capitalize. He's been playing well for us all year." Maatta and Niskanen, his defense partner, have also shouldered the load while five of the team's top six defenseman missed a third straight game. The bigger role for the young rookie includes increased minutes -- he played almost a career-best 30 Wednesday night -- and matchups against the opposition's top line.

22 "That's a tall order, but the confidence and steadiness and consistency in which he played has been maybe the best in the last three or four games," Penguins' head coach Dan Bylsma said of Maatta. The Penguins, playing for the fifth time in nine nights, were also without star forward Evgeni Malkin for the third straight game. Malkin, third in the league in scoring, injured his left leg last Saturday at Detroit. Penguins' forward James Neal returned to the lineup following a five-game suspension for kneeing Boston's Brad Marchand in the head during a 3-2 loss to the Bruins. Neal was involved in a fight and had an assist. The Wild are in the midst of a stretch where they play seven of eight on the road. They played their first game without starting goalie Josh Harding, who was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. It's a move that allows Harding time to make adjustments to medication for his multiple sclerosis. Harding, expected to return Dec. 27 at Winnipeg, led the league in goalsagainst average and ranked second in save percentage entering Thursday. It was a homecoming for Wild forward Matt Cooke, playing his first game in Pittsburgh where he spent five seasons before leaving this past summer by free agency. Cooke, an instrumental piece of the Penguins' 2009 Stanley Cup run, has just 20 penalty minutes in 36 games this season, but he was a polarizing figure in Pittsburgh, serving multiple suspensions for several hits. He was recognized in the first period with a scoreboard video tribute. Dupuis opened the scoring 49 seconds into the game, slamming home a rebound from the top of the crease. Niklas Backstrom had trouble handling the initial shot, giving up a rebound -- tipped in the air by Crosby -- that fell into the paint, allowing Dupuis to give the Penguins the early lead. The Penguins struck less than two minutes into the second period as Sutter scored his eighth of the season, a turning shot from the left faceoff dot. Niskanen, who also logged nearly 30 minutes of ice time Wednesday at New York, netted a power-play goal less than two minutes later with a slap shot from the point that got past a screened Backstrom. Kunitz gave the Penguins a 4-0 lead seconds after a fight between Neal and Wild defenseman Keith Ballard, the third fight in two periods. Crosby set up the goal with a no-look backhand pass from the corner to Kunitz, who buried a one-timer past Backstrom. Pominville got the Wild on the board 37 seconds later, re-directing Nino Niederreiter's shot behind Jeff Zatkoff, who won his sixth straight game.

23 Game notes: The Penguins are 21-2 when scoring the first goal.... Penguins forwardjayson Megna will miss the next six weeks with a lower body injury.. Justin Fontaine, former Penguin Mike Rupp and Nate Prosser were healthy scratches for Minnesota, whilebrian Gibbons sat out for Pittsburgh. The Penguins host Calgary Saturday, while Minnesota visits the New York Rangers on Sunday. Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press Kunitz, Crosby lead Penguins to 5-2 win over Wild By DAN SCIFO (Associated Press) PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Chris Kunitz scored his 19th goal,sidney Crosby had two assists and the Pittsburgh Penguins jumped out to a four-goal lead before beating the Minnesota Wild 5-2 Thursday night for their season-high sixth straight victory. Rookie defenseman Olli Maatta sealed the Penguins' win when he scored on a third-period penalty shot. Pascal Dupuis and Brandon Sutter each scored for the second consecutive game, and defenseman Matt Niskanen also tallied for Pittsburgh, which has won 11 of 12 overall and a nine straight home game. Crosby extended his season-best point streak to nine games. He leads the league with 51 points. Jason Pominville netted his team-high 16th goal and Dany Heatley scored 3:13 into the third period for the Wild, turning a three-goal deficit into a 4-2 game. Three Periods: Year of the Backup Goalie; Pens' mighty defense; Fowler takes flight for Ducks By Nicholas J. Cotsonika FIRST PERIOD: Martin Jones shines brightest in Year of Backup Goalie Martin Jones went undrafted. He had never played in the NHL before. Now here he was on Dec. 3 after three-plus seasons in the minors, starting in goal for the Los Angeles Kings against the Anaheim Ducks crosstown rivals and fellow Western Conference contenders. The 23-year-old stopped 26 of 28 shots through three periods and overtime, then came to the bench as the crew cleared the ice for the shootout. He took off his mask.

24 You think you might see a little bit of not so much panic, but a little bit of worry in his eyes, said Kings goaltending coach Bill Ranford. And he was just on the bench smiling, very laid-back and casual. Jones faced nine Ducks in the shootout and stoned them all. The Kings won, 3-2. And that was just the beginning. Since coming up because of an injury to Jonathan Quick, Jones has gone with a 0.82 goalsagainst average,.972 save percentage and three shutouts, an incredible start even in the Season of the Backup and Third-String Goaltender. All over the NHL, whether according to plan or because of injury, teams have won without their starters or even their backups in net. Jones is third on the depth chart in L.A. behind Quick and Ben Scrivens, who is with a 1.66 GAA,.941 SP and three shutouts. The Ducks have their own rookie who won his first six decisions earlier this season, Frederik Andersen, who is with a 1.74 GAA and.938 SP. Look at how many backups and third-stringers have excellent records and/or statistics. The list includes NHL veterans (Peter Budaj, Brian Elliott, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Jonas Gustavsson) and goaltenders with little NHL experience (Phillip Grubauer, Chad Johnson, Eddie Lack, Curtis McElhinney, Marek Mazanec, Justin Peters, Antti Raanta, Alex Stalock, Cam Talbot, Jeff Zatkoff). On a case-by-case basis, these are small sample sizes and don t necessarily portend goalie controversies, let alone herald future Hall of Famers. Teams also tend to buckle down defensively when a starter is out. But in the big picture, this speaks to the depth of talent at the position and the fierce competition for playing time. There lots of goaltenders and only 30 No. 1 jobs in the NHL. There is a reason Jones has not been in awe. He did not come out of nowhere. He grew up skating at Rogers Arena, home of the Vancouver Canucks, because his father, Harvey, spent 15 years as the vice-president and general manger of arena operations there. He played with Marc Crawford s son growing up, and Crawford coached the Kings from Crawford told Ranford about him. Though Jones went undrafted, that was largely because he backed up an older goaltender his first two seasons with the Western Hockey League s Calgary Hitmen. Ranford said the Kings jumped at the chance to invite him to training camp. They loved his professionalism and signed him in He started the next two years in junior and represented Canada at the World Junior Championship, then spent three seasons with the American Hockey League s Manchester Monarchs, putting up solid numbers. In 13 AHL games this season, he had a 2.24 GAA,.927 SP and one shutout.